Time Travel with Nexus 7, 2012

 

(Sahil Satishkumar, @SahRckr)

 

Nexus 7, codenamed grouper, was the first device to feature the Android 4.1 JellyBean OS. Being blessed with Project butter this 7" Android tablet was the best under 200 USD tablet available in the market. This Nexus tablet was bought during the late Nov 2013. I traded my HTC One S C2 for Nexus 7. This may sound bit crazy, also consider it fits my usage. I use it as my primary device. I spend most of the time with my tab than my other slower option Lenovo A516. That was how Nexus 7 entered in my arsenal. So after 6 months of usage and 2 years from launch how does the device excel.

 

Hardware:

Nexus 7 came with a Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.3 GHz and a gig of RAM. My usage I would say is higher than average. I conquer the web, Social Networking, lots of messaging, downloads, media consumption, and what not!? Battery life is quite okay on the device and I use the age old, Developer abandoned Juice Defender to extend my battery life to approximately 16 hrs a day. Wish there was at least a 3 MP camera on the rear of the device, but still its acceptable to date. Imagine a guy taking photographs on a 7'' device , W.E.I.R.D. ! As of the display its a 7'' , 1280x800 px decent IPS display which has Gorilla Glass 2. I will conclude that the display is Scratch-Resistant and not scratch proof as the company claims. You're better off with a scratch guard in exchange of some juice. My device has minute scratches. The buttons and the side details are fine to this date. Also the dimpled back design of my tab was protected by an Amzer Pouch.

 

[DISCLAIMER: The review device - Nexus 7, 2012 was used for more than 3 months for this post. ]

Software:

 This the part where the device excels , the device has received all major android version upgrades from Android 4.1->Android 4.2.2->Android 4.3->Android 4.4(KitKat). The device currently boasts Android 4.4.2 which is the latest Android version available, even after 2 years from launch. More over the hardware in the device allows us to mostly every application in the play store. Including graphic intense games. There are no compatibility issues because of the hardware. There is a bit of Android lag on the device after using it for a long time, which can be seized by few restarts after few days or so. I always found the Font boring, so i've installed Ubuntu Font on my device( with root permission you can use iFont for non-Samsung devices )

And everything else:

The unnecessary Google applications which cannot be used because of country issues (Google Earth, Google Wallet which don't work in India) cannot be uninstalled. It's just that allowing some stupid applications that don't do anything for me cannot take space from my device. Limited storage always is a negative point. I also have root access. Hence trying out new applications is a breeze. There is crazy issue I face sometimes, The device gets too heated up when kept inside my backpack at times. Which becomes bothering, But then it chills off when kept outside.

Conclusion:

With time devices do age well, but Google along with Asus has proved that a device need not be 500 USD for the specifications to be high end without missing out features. Devices don't need that extra metal wrapping around them to live around consumers for a long time. Nexus 7 is a No Nonsense device that does what it's meant to even after a time hop of 2 years. Every part of this device is worth the 200 USD tag.

The new iteration of the Nexus ditches the Tegra for Snapdragon, more RAM, Display Resolution, a back camera. But the price difference between the two devices is ~168 USD (in the Indian Market), But the later version has the longer Google supported services!

 

Review score:9.2/10 So tell us what do you feel about the first Nexus Tab. Also let me know the common problems faced by the Nexus 7, or the newer version.

Sahil Satishkumar for SahRckrTech Weekly Check out the same uploads on SahRckrTech.Blogspot.in

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Personal Recommendation:

Bluetooth Keyboard that comforts your typing style- Increases productivity of your tablet ( evolves to semi PC )

Nexus 7/Nexus 7(2013)   Update (5th June, 2014) : Guide to upgrade nexus 7(or any other nexus device) to Android 4.4.3 using Linux can be found here.